Again Jesus took the fields before him and the sowers and reapers to illustrate his truths, saying, “The kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. {2SP 247.2} The tares were noxious weeds, very annoying to the cultivator of the soil, for they sprang up together with the good grain. There was danger of disturbing the roots of the wheat, and destroying the young blades, if the weeds were rudely pulled from among them; besides this, the tares so closely resembled the grain, while growing, that it was hard to distinguish the one from the other. {2SP 247.3}

Jesus henviste atter til markerne, som lå foran ham, og til dem, som såede og høstede, for at fremstille sin lære idet han siger: "Med Himmeriget er det som med en mand, der såede god sæd i sin mark. Og medens folkene sov, kom hans fjende og såede giftigt rajgræs iblandt hvede og gik bort. Og da kornet voksede op og satte kerne, kunne også rajgræsset ses." (Matt 13,24-26) Rajgræsset var et slemt ukrudt, som var meget besværligt for dem, der dyrkede jorden; thi den voksede op tilligemed den gode sæd. Der var fare for, at man forstyrrede den gode sæd og ødelagde de unge spirer, dersom man uforsigtig rykkede rajgræsset op. Desuden lignede rajgræsset sæden så nøje, medens de voksede, at det var vanskeligt at skelne det ene fra det andet.